What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this entire film is a series of physically and emotionally abusive pranks and stunts. They're designed for laughs (and the cast members do frequently laugh at each other's pain and antics), but they're also often plainly harmful, producing blood, bruises, and burns. Violence includes falls, vehicle and body collisions, snake bites, charging bulls, and people being punched, hit, kicked, and crashing through glass. Nudity is also rampant, including shots of naked rear ends, male genitalia, and a naked woman. One player's mother appears in bed with a man who's not her husband (the joke is on her) -- she wears a nightdress, he's in his underpants. A man appears in old-lady drag, exposing "her" droopy breasts to passers-by, who are duly upset. Language includes relentless use of "f--k," as well as other obscenities. Some cigarette-smoking and beer-drinking.
- Families can talk about why this sort of physical abuse is considered comedy. What's funny about these extreme pranks and stunts? How does the guys' own laughter encourage viewers to laugh, too? What role did MTV play in helping make these one-time skater dudes famous? Is the rush from performing these silly, wacky, and outrageous stunts worth the trouble? Families can also discuss the difference between daring and bad taste. Where do you draw the line? And what about when other people are involved? What's the difference between playing a funny practical joke and being cruel?